


New Year and Vices

by mariant



Category: The Good Place (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Missing Scene, New Year's Kiss, Romanticism, kind of realisation of feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-23
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-14 08:49:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29664780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mariant/pseuds/mariant
Summary: A story about how people who have recently got to the "going straight",  struggle with their vices and realize what is important to them.The timeline is probably between "Derek" and "Leap of Faith".
Relationships: Michael (The Good Place) & Eleanor Shellstrop, Michael (The Good Place)/Eleanor Shellstrop
Comments: 4
Kudos: 7





	New Year and Vices

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this fanfiction for the new year, but since I write in a different language, the translation took me forever. I am happy that I finished. I hope it was worth it. Enjoy your reading and happy New year to all!

Tears rolled down her cheeks, dripping onto her hands. She squinting at the pain in her eyes.

His big hands wrapped around her shoulders, turning her around slightly.

"Eleanor, are you crying?"

"And who do you think made me slice the onions, because, you see, 'if you do the shrimp, Eleanor, the salad will go without'?"

"You can peel the shrimp! I just wanted to help! I didn't think it would upset you so much!"

"No, you fool, that's not why I'm crying. It's all forking onions. It makes people's eyes water.

"Oh…"

"All right, all right," she nudged him to regain her space, "I'm almost done," she said, dropping the chopped onion into the pan with two strokes of the knife on the board.

"Remind me, who came up with the idea that we can't summon infinite items on this day?"

"Chidi. He said it's easy to be kind when we have everything in infinite quantity. So for today we have a limited number of products."

And so it was. The guys decided to spend the New Year for six. The general consciousness of the Soul Squad created the idea that in addition to the general pastime in the classroom, it is necessary to introduce entertainment activities where the people could get to know each other better. Two weeks ago, four humans, a non-robot, and a demon teamed up. In fact, the people knew each other for almost a month, theoretically, they had known each other for about three hundred years. They needed to catch up. So they decided that it would be useful to get together once a week for fun: to play board games together or to get together for lunch and eat unhealthy food as if they could not get literally any dish from any part of the world at any time.

Chidi, as their teacher, supported this idea. With just one change. In order not to waste time in vain, he suggested performing some exercises related to personal development at these meetings. "These meetings can be useful not only for building the cohesion of our small team, but also for studying. I will try to come up with simple exercises that will not spoil the fun and help us move on with the program," – that's what he said.

No one argued with Chidi. He was their teacher and mentor, and they trusted him. After all, where is it seen that good people take a break from working on themselves?

After a little more thought, the guys decided that with simple gatherings with food, they would imitate all the TV series about friends that have been released over the past twenty years. They wanted something special. Something they were deprived of in this reality. Something they feel nostalgic about. A holiday that makes you feel like a new page in your life is beginning. A holiday in which you promise yourself to become something more next year. So the choice fell on the celebration of the New Year.

Over the next week, Chidi planned individual tasks for each of them. The task for Chidi found him by itself… Everyone immediately guessed what it would be when they heard the topic of the exercise " _vices of personality_ ". Chidi, as promised, came up with such tasks that would not distract the group from the holiday – each task was to be completed during the evening.

That's why Eleanor was responsible for making the shrimp salad. Her main vice is selfishness, and in order to practice generosity and show that she thinks not only about herself, she must manage to make a seafood salad without eating all the shrimp along the way, so that everyone can enjoy them.

"But why today? In the New forking Year. Fake, of course, but still! Sometimes I think you're not the demon here, but Chidi."

Michael shivered uncomfortably at her words.

This nerd. It is not enough that he has the superiority in philosophy over him. So he's also the best demon? Never.

"Okay, okay, that's probably rude of me... "

"Apologies accepted."

"What?" Eleanor turned to Michael. "No, I meant, rude to Chidi. Of course, this is the act of a real Grinch, but in fact, who, if not he, will pull us out of the pit of unethicality in which we have buried ourselves?" She mused aloud as she walked back and forth in the kitchen.

With every word she said, Michael could feel his patience slipping. Having owned the neighborhood for three hundred years, he had lost the habit of obeying orders, and he didn't miss it. But Chidi has crossed the line by giving him a task that hurts the demon's pride too much. No, there is a boss in this house, and he is not ready to give up so easily.

Eleanor stirred the onion in the pan and dropped it to the rest of the ingredients.

"The salad of my personal 'forbidden fruits' is ready!

"Well." His hands clenched into fists for a moment, the muscles in his cheekbones twitched. Michael snapped his fingers, returning Eleanor's shrimp dispenser to its usual place at the entrance.

"Michael, what are you...!?"

He looked at her, there was devilish gleam in his eyes. The way his gesture didn't match his conspiratorial gaze was hilarious. But Eleanor didn't laugh, just looked from him to the dispenser and back again, returning his grin. He looked like he was going to kill the damn president.

Only now did Eleanor realize that she had hurt her demon-buddy's ego by talking about who was better at handling demonic duties. She was always a good manipulator, but usually the process was deliberate... Hell, what if she knew what she was doing?...

"So you're my demonic Santa today?"

Michael averted his eyes.

"This is still my neighborhood. I agreed to study ethics, but this stupid prohibition is too much."

He almost growled the last words – why was that turning on? It shouldn't have been turning on. Eleanor would have liked to contradict him, but she knew that Michael had already infected enough with the idea of ethics not to do anything stupid.… Okay, she didn't know that. But she felt that under her supervision, he would not do it.

As for Michael, he, too, knew perfectly well that one look from her would be enough to tell him that he had gone too far. The look she'd given him after he'd arranged Chidi The Trolley Problem in practice. That look made his stomach churn. Michael seemed to feel shame for the first time. But not for what he did, but for the fact that Eleanor is not approved. If she hadn't smiled back at him now – he didn't want to admit it – but he would have returned everything to the way it was.

"Okay, okay, evil and scary demon."

Michael didn't notice her mocking tone.

"Maybe Chidi really overdid it with today's task..." She ran her hand down her neck, massaging the place from the seventh vertebra to the back of her head, and thinking. "I want this New Year to be a real New Year!.. I mean, no one should suffer today by denying themselves what brings them joy. I don't mind working on my vice, but under the circumstances it seems... cruel." She looked up at Michael, he looked at her, attentively, waiting. "When I say 'brings joy' I don't mean making someone suffer for your own pleasure."

Of course, Michael understood that. And he wasn't going to torture anyone. Maybe Chidi, but only a little, not for his own pleasure, just to recoup his hurt ego.

Michael used to enjoy torturing others, but lately he'd begun to realize that he'd never experienced a real, full sense of fulfillment. He didn't have a human heart, but he assumed that there was something in him, perhaps formless and unphysical, that gave rise to the need for self-realization and creativity (after all, torture was a kind of art). And he felt that in this place he had a bottomless pit, a black hole, a gaping funnel that never had enough torture to show himself.

"Chidi doesn't mean it out of spite, you know. He's doing everything he can to help us."

Michael knew that, too. After all, he was no exception to the rule today, and he also had to work on his vice. Arrogance. Chidi killed two birds with one stone, choosing Michael's task. He forbade him to call things, so all the necessary items were given out by Janet today. You don't need to be sighted to understand that Michael had a need for power, an advantage over the others. He needs superpowers that help him stand out among them, "cockroaches", and allow him to have this power. Now Michael's ego was being trodden on by a heavy, highly polished shoe called Ethics, and it was painful.

That's what happens when there is no one around to suggest the right direction – Chidi gets carried away. He writes a rap musical about Seren Kierkegaard, as a way of presenting a lesson, or gives a task that becomes impossible and feels more like a punishment, on a day when, in a good way, you should be accompanied by the ease of leaving the troubles of the past year behind. He overdid it with at least two of his sponsee. As for Michael, here the nerd did not calculate the strength of his impact, hitting several pain points at once with a single task.

"Don't worry about your lover." The first thing his angry mind made up.

Eleanor looked at Michael, half sullen, half incredulous. Noticing this, he noted to himself that this was still a painful topic for her, so he should bite his tongue right now.

"Or anyone else, of course. I won't hurt anyone. It's in the past."

"Good." Eleanor breathed a sigh of relief. "What's our next step?"

He watched her go as she moved toward the shrimp dispenser. He noticed how Eleanor's shoulders slump. Damn. He really shouldn't have focused on her unrequited love. He mentally slapped himself on the back of the head. He must fix his mistake.

"I have some ideas."

From the dispenser fell three decent-sized shrimp in batter, followed by a satisfied 'woo-hoo!', which people usually used to accompany a win on a slot machine, such as a Jumbo slot. This victory cry was born of a feeling that you had become golden, while "golden" was often a couple of dozen coins spilling out of the machine with different values, far from gold, and a minus on the bank card. That's how Eleanor felt right now. When she first fell in love, she was rejected. And the shrimp played the part of that sense of deceptive goldiness that distracted her from a deeper problem.

During her lifetime, Eleanor had things that made her feel like she had won more than she actually had. Things like watching a woman fight in the mud or her favorite food that might distract her from the harsh reality and her feelings. Although the place where she and Michael were now was not an Earthly reality, Michael hoped that it had worked anyway, and Eleanor had already forgotten his taunt.

"Get dressed and let's go see how _your_ friends are doing with their tasks."

"Okay, I'll be right back." Eleanor, with a glass of shrimp in one hand and the fattest shrimp in the other, savored it as she moved toward the room. "Meanwhile, you mix the salad."

Their conversation had left a bad aftertaste in his mouth, and he knew what was causing it. But all he did now was bite the inside of his cheek and go to the salad bowl.

***

Eleanor came out forty minutes later, ready. She was wearing a black dress with straps. It hugged her curves beautifully and ended at knee level. The edge of the dress above the breast was decorated with several closely arranged rows of tiny rhinestones. With its silver sheen, this strip was combined with ring earrings and a narrow band of a bracelet on the wrist, which was also decorated with rhinestones. Eleanor was shining, literally and figuratively. Her scarlet lipstick and fingernails created an almost perfect balance for her look, but… something was missing.

Michael, who was sitting on the couch, immediately stood up, reflexively running a hand over his stomach and fiddling with the buttons of his shirt. Suddenly, he felt an urgent need to change out of his costume in order to look worthy of accompanying the girl who appeared before him. 

He hadn't changed the clothes he was wearing since this morning. In this suit, he helped Eleanor cook, and he had to take off his jacket and roll up his sleeves for comfort. When Eleanor disappeared into her bedroom, he was lost in time and thought, so his appearance did not change from that moment. 

In an instant, he snapped his fingers, donning a black, elegant two-piece suit and a red bow tie. He liked matching outfits. Previously, in other reboots, he often had to accompany Tahani. One thing he knew for sure, a narcissistic British woman with family issues had taste. She always looked mind-blowing, and she knew it (which is why it was so much fun to deny her the ability to wear dresses, which he did in reboots № 256 and 480, or to force her to wear something she didn't like, as in reboots № 2, 45 and 377).

Michael also took care of his appearance. He loved his two-piece suits and especially loved the ritual of matching bow-ties to each of them. At first, it was not easy to choose a bow-tie for every day – there are so many options for colors, ornaments and their general variations! But that was until he discovered the joys of matching outfits. It was so nice to feel like a part of something, especially when that part was a tall beauty with a refined taste in clothes.

Seeing Eleanor now made him want to be a part of her. Part of the amazing mind she possessed. A part of the woman who had surprised him time and time again. Who never gave up. A small woman with a huge will to live.

Sometimes Michael thought what an outstanding architect of a fake good place she might have been if she hadn't had that little voice in the back of her head that she'd told him about not so long ago. Her intelligence, her artistry, her ability to manipulate – she had everything but composure. That's what makes a person human. A sense of invisible moral boundaries, many of which people build for themselves when they strive to be better than they are. That was why he was so impressed with this woman.

The image of him wanting to stand next to her appeared in his mind instantly. Never before had the choice of the color of the suit and the bow tie been so easy for him as at this moment.

"Wow! And it," Eleanor spread her hands, drawing attention to her body, "took me almost an hour to do it!"

"It was worth it," Michael said in a low voice. 

Eleanor smiled as she walked down the stairs to join him.

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"That was it."

She came close to him and reflexively ran her hand over his shoulder, brushing away an invisible speck of dust.

"You look pretty good, too."

He smiled at her confirmation.

"However…"

She looked up at the sound of his voice.

"...I would like to add something, with your permission."

"Really?" She put her hands on her hips, surprised.

He snapped his fingers again, and a red soft cap with a white pompom appeared in his other hand.

Eleanor narrowed her eyes, looking from Michael to his hand, and then smiled.

“I have to show you the movie 'The Devil Wears Prada'” She quickly took the Christmas hat from his hand, "You'll love it. Maybe you should have gone into fashion improvement instead of torture?"

She put a red New Year's cap on her head, taking turns tucking her hair behind her ears on both sides. She was charming.

Michael froze, staring at her.

"Ready to go?" she said, bringing him back to reality.

He nodded, grabbed the salad bowl, and hurried after Eleanor to the door.

***

Michael and Eleanor looked around as they entered one of Tahani's living rooms.It wasn't like the grandly decorated banquet halls where their friend, Tahani, usually hosted guests. Everything was relatively modest. To their left, two tables were arranged in a row, richly laden with appetizers and desserts. Two more round, low tables stood to their right. On one of them was a Christmas punch, on the other-several bottles of champagne and glasses for everyone. There were three Christmas trees in the room, one of which was at least twice as tall and wide as the others. Peeking out from under its lower branches were at least a dozen gift boxes of various sizes and colors, each decorated with a chic bow, which was... strange for two reasons. One: the guys decided to play a Secret Santa, and there should have been six gifts in total; two: Eleanor didn't remember hanging a bow on her box, which means Tahani did it... Yeah, everything should be perfect for the narcissistic monster.

The air smelled pleasantly of spruce, tangerines, and cinnamon. Despite a certain pretentiousness that the room was given by the high ceilings and gold ornaments on the walls, it was still cozy. The only thing that stood out from the picture of perfection were the colorful balloons hanging alone near the ceiling, and several more of the same, fastened together, were tied to a wooden board on the floor. There was a helium tank nearby. When Michael and Eleanor had first entered, they hadn't noticed anyone's presence, but now Jason's head poked out from behind one of the Christmas trees.

"Oh, you've already come!" His voice was ridiculously high.

Eleanor smiled at her friend. She needed to relax and have fun right now, and the man in front of her was a professional at both. Whatever stupid thing he was up to, she was willing to participate.

"Jason, buddy, what's wrong with your voice?” Eleanor asked kindly.

"These balloons are just super cool, do you want to try it?”

"Of course!”

Jason took a new balloon, filled it with air from the tank, and handed it to Eleanor. She took it, and they simultaneously released some of the helium from their balloons into their mouths. After a few words, they burst out laughing.

While the boys were having fun, Michael stepped aside.

"Janet.”

"Hello! "Janet showed up.

"We brought the salad.”

"Great! "Janet took the salad bowl.”

"Can you please tell me where everyone is?”

"When it comes to people, Tahani is in the kitchen, Chidi is at home, Eleanor and Jason are in the room with us.”

"Thank you, Janet.”

"You're welcome," Janet disappeared with a salad bowl in her hands.

Michael turned his attention back to Jason and Eleanor having fun.

"Hey, Jason? Michael asked him as soon as the guy stopped choking with laughter.

"Yeah, Ho-omie?” He drawled in a funny voice.

"What task did Chidi give you?”

"Inflate the balloons for the arch. But, du-ue! I started, and then I got bored. So I found out that these balloons allow you to speak in the voice of a real chipmunk! Look how awesome it is! "Jason inhaled some more helium and sang an Elvis Presley song, playing a character from the movie `Alvin and the Chipmunks'.

Michael walked over to the helium tank, stepping over a box full of new balloons. He glanced at the pressure indicator and then at the unfinished arch. The helium was running low, and the arch didn't look like it could be called that.

Irresponsibility. This was the vice that Chidi had planned for Jason to work on.

Michael sighed and looked up at Eleanor. She gave him a knowing look and a smile tinged with sadness. Michael snapped his fingers. The chaos of scattered balloons that Jason had created was gone. A chic tricolor arch decorated with gold-colored ribbon bows appeared at the entrance to the room.

Eleanor gasped. It was beautiful. Maybe too beautiful. If Chidi finds out that Jason didn't make the arch, they'll be in trouble.

Michael couldn't help but smile at Eleanor's delight.

There was a click of heels on the floor. Tahani entered the room, holding a porcelain salad bowl decorated with a pattern of spruce twigs and cones (apparently, the salad that Eleanor and Michael had brought had moved to a more aesthetic dish). The woman was wearing a sky-blue dress that almost reached the floor. Silvery snowflakes scattered all over the hem. She looked like a real Russian Snow Maiden.

"Jason, you -" Tahani stopped in mid-sentence and turned to look at the wonderful arch of balloons that stretched over the entrance.

"Michael and I helped him a little," Eleanor interrupted. "Hey, beautiful."

"Oh, hello, Eleanor. Janet told me that you and Michael are already here! "Seeing her friends, Tahani, as if she had forgotten about the arch, smiled brightly at them. She hurried to the center of the room to put the salad bowl in an empty place on the table. "I'm almost done. Eleanor, can you please help me in the kitchen?” She said with restraint. There was concern in her tone.

"Of course, dear.”

Tahani began to leave the room. Taking advantage of the moment, Eleanor grabbed Michael's sleeve and began to whisper furiously:

"Dude, Tahani was speechless because of the arch you created, and that's bad.

"You don't like it?

"What? No. This was Jason's task, it should look like something he could handle. Chidi can't guess what we're doing. Do something." Eleanor ran after Tahani.  


***

Entering the kitchen, Tahani waved her hands and began to babble intently.

"Slowdown, hot thing, what's wrong?”

"It's about Chidi, Eleanor! He didn't give me a task, I think he's in love with me!”

"What? Chidi…”

"Yes, yes, in love!”

"Wait, Tahani. Chidi didn't give you a task?”

"Yes. He said that I was making progress in class and that maybe I didn't need this task.”

Chidi may be a weirdo, but he doesn't have any favorites. Something was wrong here.

"And who came up with the idea of playing Secret Santa? This game is designed for lazy people who have no imagination!”

It was Chidi's idea.

Tahani expressed all her thoughts nonstop. Now there was an explanation for her worried look.

"Honey, calm down. What does the Secret Santa have to do with it, and… and why are there more presents under the tree than we agreed? Did you make them?"

"Yes! I'm telling you. This is a stupid game. I had ideas for gifts for everyone! Because I have a great fantasy, Eleanor. George Martin was thrilled with my ideas. By the way, writing the character of Daenerys, he was inspired by me.” With the grace of an aristocrat, she lifted her chin proudly.

Oh.

The vice of Tahani is bragging.

Really, Eleanor hadn't expected Chidi to do such a thing. Fed the narcissistic monster with a compliment and let it loose. Tricky. Cruelly. She felt sorry for Tahani.

Eleanor exhaled. She thought that the idea of Secret Santa was intended to Chidi is faced with his own vice. Apparently, here again, the nerd killed two birds with one stone. That's why no one likes ethics professors. Smart, but so fixated on their subject that they don't see the boundaries, don't know when to stop. Eleanor should have been there to tell him, to guide him, but because of the awkwardness between them, she avoided him.

Well, what can you do? That is what it is.

"Baby, I think I know what happened. She put her hands comfortingly on Tahani's shoulders." Chidi actually gave you a task."

"What? Which one?”

Eleanor explained the task to Tahani. By the end of the story, the brunette's shoulders slumped.

"So I failed the task.”

"It's okay, baby. You're not alone in this. We still have a lot to learn.”

"Wait. Not alone?”

"Yes, Michael, Jason, and I also failed.”

"Oh, right!” It seemed that she had been so preoccupied with the Chidi situation that the realization had only just caught up with her. “Jason's Arch. No offense, but even if the three of you had done it, it probably wouldn't have turned out so amazing. Chidi should have given me the job.” Tahani smiled, feeling a surge of confidence again.

Eleanor gave her a look that said, `you're doing it again` and Tahani looked serious.

"Oh. Yes, I'm sorry. I'm really sorry about that.” Tahani hugged Eleanor.

"It's all right.” Eleanor patted the tall tyo on the back in a comforting gesture. “Let's go put away the extra gifts before Professor Megamind comes."

"Thank you, Eleanor. Oh!” Tahani jumped away from her.

"What is it?”

"Mistletoe.”

Eleanor had just noticed a sprig of mistletoe hanging by a ribbon from the chandelier. She smiled at Tahani, and they exchanged a kiss on the cheek.

"Happy holiday to you, pal.”

“And you, too, Eleanor.”  


They smiled affectionately at each other.

"By the way, did you and Michael kiss?”

"WHAT?”

"There is also a mistletoe hanging over the entrance to the room.”

"Ah. No. We probably didn't notice.” Eleanor was slightly embarrassed. "Another time then. Now let's go. Chidi will be here soon.”

***

When Eleanor and Tahani returned to the group, they found that the chic arch had been replaced by a thinner, simpler two-tone arch.

Just as Tahani had said, there was indeed a bunch of mistletoe hanging over the doorjamb. Eleanor wondered how she could have missed it the first time. They exchanged another quick kiss on the cheek.

“Hey!” Chidi waved awkwardly from the center of the room. The professor was dressed up in a brown jacket with checkered patches at the elbows, which matched his ochre turtleneck perfectly. Despite its boring, nerdy look, he organically combined with its surroundings.

“Hi, Chidi!” Eleanor felt Tahani freeze in place. She elbowed her to get her out of trance.

“Hello, Chidi, I`m glad to see you,” the woman finally said.

"And I'm glad! Thank you for bringing us here! Everything is as amazing as ever.”

"I know, I tried." Tahani answered.

Chidi paused, then added, "So many presents under the tree..."

Tahani stumbled over the word and froze again, like a literal ice queen. Eleanor again nudged her.

"It's a fake," Tahani said. "I love when there are a lot of gifts under the tree. Reminds me of home.”

"Oh. Good. I'm sorry, Tahani. Um, Eleanor, can I talk to you for a minute?”

"Yes, of course.”

Damn it. It seemed that Tahani had managed to get away with it, had he guessed? Eleanor and Tahani exchanged glances as Chidi hurried out of the room. Eleanor followed him.

They went into the adjoining living room.

"Eleanor, I'm panicking!”

Oh. Well. For the second time that evening, her friend is in a panic. And why exactly do they go to _her_ with this?

"What is it, bro?"

"It's about the packaging. I couldn't choose." With these words, he took out a tube of gift paper from his bosom. He unfolded it, and three more colors appeared, and he spread them out on the couch. "Look, Jason likes green, but red is psychologically more attractive! There's also-" he almost started to choke by the third color.

Eleanor had guessed exactly what Chidi had chosen for himself. His eternal trouble with choice. His vice is selfishness. He is not just interested in the right choice, he is interested in the perfect choice. All his life, he was so concerned with doing the right thing, so as not to offend anyone, but he didn't even notice how his passion for ethics began to harm the people around him. The desire to act ethically too long ago changed the direction from "improve life in society” to “what choice will make me feel most satisfied". It was no longer about the people around him, it was about whether he would be satisfied with _himself_ , whether he would get an ethical high by making a certain choice.

"Okay, Chidi, breathe. Breathe." Eleanor put her hands on his shoulders and sat him down on the couch.

"Where's the gift?”

“Here.” He opened his jacket and took out a thin, square folder.

“What is it?”

"A vinyl record with the soundtracks from “Fast Five”."

Well, even though he couldn't handle the packaging, he chose an excellent gift.

Eleanor glanced at the tubes of gift paper Chidi had brought and pointed to one of them with her finger.

"This one.”

"Green?"

"Yap. Don't argue. Better help me pack it up.”

"Thank you, Eleanor," he said as they wrapped the record. "You all seem to have done a great job: Jason made the arch, Tahani didn't seem to take the opportunity to brag that I gave her," he reasoned, "and I saw shrimp in your salad!" He paused. "And Michael?...”

“Yeah, he did great.”

Well, that's not exactly a lie, is it?

"Damn it.”

“What?”

"I am your teacher, I should be an example, and, as a result, one and only blundered." Chidi got nervous again and this time he clutched his stomach. "It's terrible.”

"Hey, hey," she caught his eye, " but look what a nice gift you chose."

"Only because as soon as we decided to play Secret Santa, Jason shouted, “Give me a vinyl record with soundtracks from the best part of Fast and Furious!" It's good that he mentioned earlier that this is the fifth part of his personal top.”

Wow, did the failed DJ really do that? She never learned to listen.

"You see, you've memorized his favorite part! You're a great listener!"

"Yes, but you see, even here I doubted whether to give something that a person already expects! After all, almost everyone loves surprises!” He hesitated again. "God, I can't do this. I have to tell the others.”

"Chidi, wait!..”

The nerd ran out of the room without taking the record.

"Yes, he is definitely someone who deserves to be an example to them," Eleanor thought. "He shouldn't doubt it."

***

Chidi entered the room, and Eleanor followed him in.

He cleared his throat.

“Guys, I got a few things I wanna say.”

The group approached, and Eleanor took a side with the others.

"I am very proud that all of you have completed your tasks! And I would even be proud of myself if I didn't fail my own. Yes. I have failed you. How can I set an example to you, my students, if I can't control my own vice?”

Damn… Someone's about to have a nervous breakdown. Right into the New Year. No one deserves this, especially Chidi, who is called the Grinch behind his back.

“Chidi...” Eleanor took a step forward. "I must say, you weren't the only one who failed your task.

Chidi glanced at her, then looked around the crowd.

"Really?"

"Yes, I failed it too."

Michael looked at her and swore silently. She _always_ does that. Always spoils everything. If he had been human, he would have been caught up in deja vu right now. But he wasn't. He was an eternal being with a perfect memory, so now he was watching Eleanor from Attempt № 1 admit to him that she was the problem.

Anger turned to mercy in an instant. That was why he admired her so much. For not letting a lie hurt the person she loves (as a friend or otherwise – it doesn't matter). She has found something to cherish, and she will keep it.

And Chidi... Chidi really didn't deserve to suffer. He wanted to do the best he could. In the end, thanks to Chidi, the team still teamed up with Michael and gave him an equal opportunity to become better person. Chidi tried to find an individual approach to Michael, because, of course, the demon was a difficult student. And, as much as Michael's ego is hurt today or other days (by the fact that there are things he knows less about, or that, you see, he has to tame his domineering nature in order to function successfully in their small society), he should be grateful for what the nerd did for him.

"And I, too." Michael stepped forward, mirroring Eleanor's action.

Eleanor turned at the sound of his voice, looked up at him, and smiled. He felt that smile without even looking at her.

"Yes, but he did it because of me, I provoked him to do it – by accident or not. I'm sorry, Michael."

Michael would have liked to say that it was true, that he was the victim here, but the voice in his head was loud and clear. He wouldn't let her take the blame. Returning the shrimp dispenser was his decision, and so was everything else.

"It doesn't matter, Eleanor." he finally turned his head toward her. "This is my act, and, one way or another, I'm responsible for this.”

The fact that even the demon confessed left the rest of the group with no choice. They all wanted to be better people. And now it's the New Year. Even if it's fake. They shouldn't start it with a lie. All the people and creatures in this room were linked by a common goal. All they had was themselves, in the middle of a place full of lies and torture. And they realized that they had to maintain their connection, build it and strengthen it, not destroy it. They wouldn't let circumstances ruin the only real thing they had here. Their budding friendship.

Chidi forgave them, of course. He realized that he shouldn't have put so much pressure on the guys, and next time he should think better about how to make the meeting useful. Although, despite the unsuccessful experiment, it has become so. All of them, looking at each other, at Eleanor – his best student, no doubt – and made the right choice. Choosing towards the best of yourself. Now Chidi was proud of himself, too. He saw how strong they were all together. It was just that this strength needed a leader, or rather _two_. One that will teach them about ethics, and one that will convey to them in its own unique way why it is worth doing this and not otherwise.

Today they all realized that in this fake world, after all, there are real things that are worth saving. That there's always a shoulder to lean on. That they will be met with understanding even in their moments of weakness and mistakes. If every Earthly New Year had instilled this feeling in the four of them and the people around them while they were still alive, many things might have been different. But, as one wise man said, "It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop."

***

The evening went easier. Champagne was poured into the glasses, and conversation and laughter began. The guys unwrapped gifts, rejoiced, hugged and kissed, being under a sprig of mistletoe.

When the mistletoe was explained to Michael, he began to avoid it, not wanting to participate in the human fun with kisses. Kissing seemed a strange phenomenon to him, because mouths, in Michael's understanding, were made exclusively for eating. Why would such a valuable organ be rubbed against someone? Why do people do it from time to time and without reluctance? And why are their mouths so disgustingly small anyway? While Michael cringed every time he watched someone's mouth touch someone else's face and, God forbid, someone else's mouth, Jason ran around with his personal sprig of mistletoe. Most of the time, for some reason, he was close to Tahani, but no one cared. 

At one point, Michael wondered why Eleanor hadn't tried to kiss him when they'd first arrived. Not that he was sorry, just curious. Michael felt that his interest was obviously caused by alcohol, so he quickly dismissed the idea.

When the presents were unpacked and half the champagne bottles were empty, the evening took on a more subdued but still cheerful tone. Only something, or rather someone, stood out from the surroundings, namely, Eleanor, standing alone near the huge window that overlooked the garden.

Still at a distance, Michael studied her face, trying to discern what emotion it expressed. It didn't sound like anger or confusion, as he'd come to expect. Her expression made Michael feel the twist in the pit of his stomach, and he thought that maybe his body was telling him how she felt, reflecting it on himself. He concluded that she was sad.

But what happened? The evening was going so well. Even though everyone failed Chidi's tasks, everything was fine. No one blamed anyone.

Or...

Oh.

Michael felt heavy, as if a stone troll from a bad place had stepped on two of his feet at once. A scene in the early evening flashed through his mind, where he had sneered at Eleanor, calling Chidi her `lover`, despite knowing that _love_ had always been a difficult subject for her. The need to apologize grows in him in seconds, like a beanstalk from a fairy tale.

"Hey."

He came up to her, and she immediately turned her head to him, changing the sad expression on her lips to a more joyful one.

"Are you okay?" Michael asked.

"Yeah. Everything is fine, just…"

"Just what?"

She sighed.

"It is a pity that there is no snow here." She turned back to the window. "I don't know about Florida or Senegal, but it snowed in Arizona on New Year's Eve. There was something... magical about it."

She said the last sentence as if she thought the very existence of the M-word was stupid. After a few seconds, she turned back to Michael, a more worried expression on her face than before.

"I understand that you can't cause snow here, and I'm not asking for it. This is definitely not some kind of manipulation. I know it would put our covert operation in jeopardy, I was just thinking about it."

Wow. Is she worried that he won't take it for manipulation? Today, as on any other day, she was growing before his eyes.

He breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oh, good. I just thought…" Michael smiled, but as soon as Eleanor looked at him questioningly, he immediately became serious.

"I thought you were sad because you were offended by my comment."

"What's the comment?"

Michael was suddenly uncomfortable, and he didn't know why. He felt as if he were a cat who had to tell his mistress exactly where he had left the puddle.

"That I called Chidi your 'lover'." He paused before the last word, then spoke it more quietly than the others.

"Ah, that. Yes, it was... unpleasant. But I'm fine."

After that, Eleanor fell silent, turning away again. Michael felt a burning desire to fill the silence. But he didn't have time, because she continued.

"You know, all this just happened and ... well, it's new to me, and it's going to take me a while to... you know, let it go."

The wound was indeed fresh. Since the night Chidi had told Eleanor directly that he had no romantic feelings for her (after which she quickly changed the subject, saying that she needed to talk to Michael), they had not discussed it again.

"I'm sorry I said that."

She nodded. She was really hurt by what he'd said, and it was only now that she realized she hadn't told him anything about it. She wasn't the type to just swallow insults, but here she made an exception, trying not to focus on a painful subject. Now she was surprised that Michael had brought it up. It was only when he said it out loud that she realized she was really offended. And she realized how much she really needed to hear that apology. Of course, you do not have to forgive your offender, but with some slowness, probably due to alcohol, Eleanor was overwhelmed by the realization that Michael had come to her. The demon admitted his mistake and uttered words of sincere apology out loud, when no one even rubbed it in his face. And Eleanor appreciated it. For real. His words made her feel surprisingly relieved, as if a boulder she hadn't known existed had finally been lifted from her Sisyphean shoulders. She forgave him.

The long pause kept Michael on his toes. He felt as if a steel trap was tightening on his spine with every passing second, binding his body with pain. He was preparing for the worst.

Eleanor looked up at Michael. He was looking at her with a frown, a concentration, as if waiting for a decision from a real universal judge.

"Apologies accepted."

Michael blinked, not expecting the words. He was ready to hear that he had ruined her New Year, or worse, their budding friendship. It would seem that how to spoil something that was wrong from the very beginning? The demon and the people he had tortured for centuries were united. Where has this been seen? Still, he did something right. After joining the team, he was (for the most part) honest with them, and this is the best beginning and part of any friendship.

So far, Michael had been careful to call them all his friends, since teaming up was forced. But he considered Eleanor his friend. He felt a certain connection with her, which, based on his impressive knowledge of the universe, was impossible. In any case, even after his confession about everything he did to them and how he treated them, she found the strength not to be afraid of him and to show him kindness and understanding.

She turned to him and touched his shoulder, close to his elbow, barely squeezing. It brought him back to reality.

"Accepted, Michael."

He smiled at her. And she smiled at him. They stood there for a long moment, then looked away at the same time.

"Phew!" Eleanor turned away to face the others. "I hope we still have some champagne left?" She said, and turned to Michael for a moment, winked at him, then hurried to the center of the room to join her other friends.

Michael watched Eleanor go, then turned back to the window, still thinking about her smile. He felt an unprecedented lightness. Only now was he able to take a deep breath.

***

The evening became quiet, frank. Now there was an atmosphere of sincerity and gratitude. Janet and Michael were missing, but they promised to come back. While the immortal creatures were gone on some important business, the guys, engrossed in conversation, settled down on the fluffy carpet near the Christmas tree. They shared their Christmas stories from their Earthly lives. Most of them were pleasant memories of New Year's parties, someone's first snow, get-togethers with the family or unexpected gifts. But there were also stories of lonely New Year's Eve evenings, family quarrels, and fortune cookies whose good predictions never came true, ignoring what must have been the most magical night of the year. Each time such a story was spoken aloud, the narrator was warmly embraced by the arms of his new friends. The guys knew each other so little, but they already wanted to thank each other for a lot.

At one point, Eleanor picked up a plate of fortune cookies from the table and placed them on the floor in the middle of the group. Maybe the fake good place is “good " enough to fulfill some of the predictions from the New Year's cookies?

"Who wants to open the first one? Perhaps the mistress of the house? " suggested Eleanor.

Tahani smiled and reached for plate.

"So, what do we have here?" She broke the first cookie and cleared her throat. "Thanks to your personality and charm, you will always achieve what you want!”

"Sounds like the truth!” Eleanor confirmed. "Who's next?"

"Me! Me! Jason threw out his hand in delight, grabbing the cookie. Biting off half at once, he took out a piece of paper with a prediction and said, imitating the tone of a wise monk: "You will find a lot!..."he finished.

Eleanor grunted with laughter. "What?" She asked.

Tahani looked into Jason's hands.

"Jason, honey, you only have half a prediction!”

Jason moved his tongue thoughtfully in his mouth and then took out the second part of the prediction. To the sounds of shared indignation at how disgusting it looked, he finished reading:

"...a lot of thrills and a lot of adventures!”

"I don't know what the adventure is, but I'm already looking forward to the thrill." Chidi smiled nervously, but he was drunk enough not to get lost in the thought. He reached out and took the cookie. "Help others... also climb to the top of success, and you will not be alone…”

"Looks like your prediction is a little late, huh, Chidos?" Eleanor nudged him in a friendly way and smiled at him gently, and he returned the smile.

It was Eleanor's turn and she broke the cookies.

"If you want a new path, get off the old road right now." Eleanor chuckled. But after a couple of seconds of thought, she looked around at the people sitting next to her and smiled. "It looks like mine has already been fulfilled, too."

Listening to the voices of her friends, who began to read the predictions for the second time, Eleanor, with a satisfied, drunken smile on her face, leaned back on the sofa behind her and closed her eyes. She felt like she was almost falling asleep. She felt good.

"Snow!" Shouted Jason.

Eleanor smiled, almost laughing, without opening her eyes.

"Jason, did you swallow the other half of the note again?"

"No, look!” he said, raised both hands and pointing at the window. 

Hearing Tahani's surprised "Oh, my God!" Eleanor opened her eyes, staring out at the panoramic windows.

Light flakes of snow swirled in the air, charming everyone present. People stood up, walking to the windows and lifting their chins high in the air, not believing that this was really happening. They were trying to see the source of the falling snow. Their drunken thoughts conjured up a picture of Michael and Janet on the roof, emptying the feather pillows. Soon people realized that snow was falling everywhere, over the entire neighborhood, where only the eye could reach.

Eleanor sensed a presence behind her and whirled around.

"Michael!"

He gave her a big smile and started to say something.

Eleanor looked at him with a silly smile. Maybe her "new road" from the prediction is not ethics at all? Maybe it's not even something, but someone.

She interrupted him, almost jumping on top of him and kissing him hard on the cheek and again, just near his lips.

"Thank you!" She hugged him tightly, resting her head on his chest. "Thank you," she repeated in a lower voice, and he placed his broad hands on her back.

Michael looked up for the mistletoe, but when he didn't see it, he was confused, and at the same time, he felt an unaccustomed warmth. He blinked and touched his fingers to his cheek where Eleanor's lips had been a moment ago. It turns out that it's not so disgusting…

Tomorrow, Michael will tell the demons that the snow was a planned torture, and tell them how much people hate the cold and precipitation. He will say that he explained to people that it was Janet's glitch. Vicky would reprimand him, of course, but it... it was worth it. It was worth it to see the smile on Eleanor's face again. He would postpone all business for tomorrow, and today he would enjoy the smudge of scarlet lipstick on his cheek, an atmosphere of acceptance and love that he had never felt before, and snow that he had never seen before. This is his first New Year, and it's already his favorite holiday.

**Author's Note:**

> If you notice big mistakes in the text, write to me and I will fix everything! And write your impression of the story, I will be very pleased to read it! <333


End file.
